Hollow one-piece doorknob and spindle attachment bushing assembly



y 4, 1954 F. KAISER HOLLOW ONE-PIECE DOORKNOB AND SPINDLE ATTACHMENT BUSHING ASSEMBLY Filed June 26 1952 Patented May 4, 1 954 HOLLOW ONE-PIECE DOORKNOB AND SPIN- DLE ATTACHMENT BUSHING ASSEMBLY Fred Kaiser, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application June 26, 1952, Serial No. 295,797

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in door knobs; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to a hollow door knob formed in one piece from sheet metal and provided with a spin die attachment bushing aifixed thereto in unitary relationship therewith.

Methods have heretofore been developed and are now known to the art whereby to produce hollow door knobs in one piece from sheet metal. Such knobs comprise a hollow knob body having an integral tubular, endwise open, shank or neck for the reception and attachment thereto of a bushing by which the knob can be operatively coupled to the spindle of a door latch mechanism. Since such knobs are of one piece, so that access to the interior thereof cannot be had once a bushing is inserted in the shank or neck thereof, considerable difiiculty has been experienced in forming a strong and rigid attachment of the bushing to the knob in unitary, non-loosening relation to the latter.

Having the above in View, it is an object of this invention to provide in combination with a hollow, one-piece sheet metal door knob, a spindle attachment bushing including novel cooperative means whereby the bushing and knob are rigidly united in strong, interlocked together, unitary relationship, free from risk of loosening or of relative play.

Another object of the invention is to provide an interlocked assembly of hollow, one-piece door knob and spindle attachment bushing, wherein the bore of the bushing is closed at its inner end so that, when the knob and bushing are assembled and interlocked together in unitary relationship, the interior of the knob is sealed off against undesirable access thereto of plating or other liquids, especially when finishing the assembly during manufacture thereof.

The above and other objects of this invention will be understood from a reading of the following detailed description of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a hollow, one-piece sheet metal door knob and of a spindle attachment bushing therefor as opposed to the open end of the knob shank ready for insertion therein, said knob and bushing having cooperative means according to this invention for uniting the same in interlocked together assembled relation; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view in part section, showing the bushing inserted in the knob shank ready to be secured thereto; and Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2, showing the bushing secured to the knob shank in unitary interlocked relation thereto.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is another vertical longitudinal sectional View, taken on line 55 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a bottom end elevational View of the assembled and united knob and bushing.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character it indicates the hollow knob body having an axially projecting, outwardly open, tubular shank portion l I, all as formed from sheet metal in one piece.

The reference character [2 indicates the main body of a, spindle attachment bushing, the external diameter of which corresponds to the internal diameter of the tubular shank portion H of the knob body. The lower or outer end of the bushing body [2 is provided with an axially extending boss l3 of reduced diameter, whereby to provide the lower or outer end of the main body [2 of the bushing with an annular horizontal shoulder or seat [4 between the periphery of said main body and the periphery of said boss iii. The axial extent or height of said boss 23 substantially corresponds, preferably, to the thickness of the sheet metal from which the knob l0 and its shank portion 1! is produced. Formed integrally with the main body l2 of the bushing is at least one radially projecting horizontal lock tongue [5, the under side of which is flush with the plane of said shoulder or seat I4. Preferably two such lock tongues it are provided to project respectively from diametrically opposite sides of the bushing body [2.

If the knob is to be journaled in a rose mounted on a door to be served by the knob, the bushing body I2 is further provided with a hub I6 of reduced diameter which is formed integrally therewith to project axially from its lower or outer end.

Indenting the marginal portions of the outer end of the shank portion II of the knob are one or more notches H for the reception of the lock tongues 15 of the bushing body l2. Each lock notch ll corresponds in Width to the width of a lock tongue 55, and in depth to the height or thickness of a lock tongue plus the width of the shoulder or seat [4 with which the lower end of the main body l2 of the bushing is provided.

To mount the bushing in operative assembled relation to the knob, the main body I2 of the former is inserted into the open end of the shank portion H of the latter, in such manner that the lock tongue or tongues l5 of the one enter the lock notch or notches I! of the other, and so as to be stopped therein whereby to limit the movement of the bushing into said shank portion, and thereby to predetermine the operative assembled position of the bushing relative to the knob (see Fig. 2).

When the bushing is thus initially assembled with the knob, free marginal edge portions !8 of the shank portion II will project outwardly beyond the shoulder or seat M of the bushing body 12 (again see Fig. 2). To complete the ailixing of the bushing in operative assembled relation to the knob, said projecting free marginal edge portions l8 f the shank portion l i are turned or rolled to extend angularly inward over and upon said shoulder or seat It, thereby forming angular keeper flanges or lips 59 (see Figs. 3 and and thus firmly interlocking the bushing and knob together.

It will be obvious that the described interlocked relation of the bushing and knob so aflixes these parts together that there is no possibility of relative movement 01' loose play therebetween; since the abutment of the lock tongue or tongues 55 against the bottoms of the lock notch or notches I! prevents inward axial movement or play of the bushing relative to the knob shank; the engagement of the keeper flanges or lips 59 with the shoulder or seat 14 prevents or. ward axial movement or play of the bushing relative to the knob shank; while the embrace of the lock tongue or tongues l5 of the bushing by the sides of the lock notch or notches ll of the knob sleeve prevents rotative movement or play of the knob relative to the bushing.

The interlocking elements are all external, and consequently are readily accessible for him nipulation in efiecting assembly of the bushing and knob; thus saving both time and labor in knob production.

The bushing is provided with an axially ex" tending, outwardly open bore for the reception of a door latch spindle to which the knob is connected in use. This bore 20 may be of any known type or form, i. e. it may be of square cross-sectional shape, as shown; or of oval or other irregular cross-sectional shape; or of cylindrical internally screw-threaded form. As shown, the inner end of said bore is preferably closed by an end Wall 2|, thus sealing off communication between the same and the interior of the hollow knob body [8. This is very desirable since it prevents undesirable access to the interior of the hollow knob body of plating or other liquids in providing the knob with an exterior finish during production thereof.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a hollow one-piece sheet metal door knob having an outwardly open tubular shank of a spindle attachment bushing telescoped into said knob shank, and means to interlock said bushing in fixed assembly with the shank, said means comprising a boss of reduced diameter extending axially from the outer end of the bushing to form an annular transverse seat between the periphery of the bushing and said boss, the axial height of said boss substantially corresponding to the thickness of the sheet metal by which the knob shank is formed, at least one look tongue of substantial width projecting radially from the periphery of the bush ing parallelly flush to said seat, the free marginal edge portion of the knob shank being indented by a lock notch by which said lock tongue is embraced, whereby to retain the bushing against both inward axial and rotative movements relative to the knob shank, and marginal edge portions of the knob shank being inturned over and upon said seat of the bushing to provide angular keeper means to fit said bushing against outward axial movement relative to the knob shank.

2. The combination with 'a hollow one-piece sheet metal door knob having an outwardly open tubular shank of a spindle attachment bushing telescoped into said knob shank, and means to interlock said bushing in fixed assembly with the shank, said means comprising a b as of reduced diameter extending axially from the outer end of the bushing to form an annular transverse seat between the periphery of the bushing and said boss, the axial height of said boss substantially corresponding to the thickness of the sheet metal by which the knob shank is formed, look tongues of substantial width projecting radially respectively from diametrically opposite of the periphery of the bushing parallelly flush to said seat, the free marginal edge portions of the knob shank being indented by lock notches respectively disposed to embrace the respective lock tongues, whereby to retain said bushing against both inward axial and rotative movements relative to the knob shank, and marginal portions of the knob shank being inturned over and upon said seat of the bushing to provide angular keeper means to fix said bushing against outward axial movement relative to the knob shank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 447,266 Wilmot et al. Feb. 24, 139i 7%,404 Munro Dec. 29, 1903 1,186,233 Sanderson June 6, 1916 2,425,611 Frost et al. Aug. 12, 1947 2,489,160 Schoepe et al Nov. 22, 1M9

2,517,803 Seaholm Aug. 8, 1950 

